


I'm Okay With This

by Humble_Tortoise (Caskets_Here), Khadijalkubra



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Catra is Bad at Feelings (She-Ra), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotionally Constipated Catra, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Slash, Scorpia (She-Ra) is a Good Friend, Scorpia is a cinnamon roll, Scorpia is patient, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:07:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27691135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caskets_Here/pseuds/Humble_Tortoise, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khadijalkubra/pseuds/Khadijalkubra
Summary: “I know that’s not how you work. You like people and people like you but I. I’m not. I don’t.. It’s better like this.” Catra rolled her shoulders back. She clenched her jaw and repeated, “It’s better like this.”________ORMay I offer you some Whump in these trying times?
Relationships: Catra/Scorpia (She-Ra)
Kudos: 16
Collections: Post Apocalyptic Babes





	I'm Okay With This

**Author's Note:**

> Two vastly feral beasts in different rooms who are too tired to think of more comedic opening descriptors turn to you, the reader: 
> 
> HT:...hi. 
> 
> KK: we did another collab fic!
> 
> HT: Actually (ahem, vaguely) on schedule. Yay. 
> 
> Anyway! here's a small slice of all the gay we've written in honor of the more, overarching gay of SPOP. 
> 
> <3 
> 
> Title from "Bury Me" by WitchHazel. You should go check them out (hint: it's HT)

“It’s… not as bad as it looks.”

The sky was the same shade of reddish gray that it always was. Soldiers marched off into the distance– there would be a siege today. Scouts from Brightmoon’s surrounding woods had given word just before dawn had broken through. The princesses were on an away mission and the opposition was vulnerable. The time to strike was now. A rare enough chance that anyone would assume The Horde’s two most accomplished force captains would be front and center, leading the charge. 

Instead of running Hordak’s armies into absolute victory, however, they'd be bringing in the second wave at nightfall. 

“Scorpia, I know even _you_ aren’t this thick skinned. Jeez, _what happened?”_ Catra’s tail bobbed back and forth, agitated. Her words weren’t gentle, never gentle, but her hands... 

She was perched on one of the many, decrepit crates laying around; originally a weapons transport box, currently another irking thorn in Catra’s side. Her shoulders stayed tense as she made efficient, caring work of splinting the cracked claw. Scorpia herself sat contently on the unforgiving debris strewn about the ground, legs splayed out and back against another crate.

“Well, that is a story, lemme tell ya! Okay so! Entrapta wanted some help with new tech she found and I thought, hey, maybe I could use my electro powers to give her a little boost? Ya know ever since I realized what these babies could do I’ve been looking for _any_ excuse to show these bad boys off.” Scorpia said, her tail flicking excitedly, the way it always did when she talked about her abilities. “And well— let’s just say clumsy claws and tiny cups of soda do _not_ mix well around First One wires but! Ya know— at least I know for next time—”

“If my hands weren't full right now, I’d be strangling you.”

“A strangle is just a hug with more feelings!” 

Catra bristled. She closed her eyes momentarily, reminding herself that she they needed Scorpia for the siege. For Hordak’s plans in general, she was… well, she was good at what she did. Catra sighed. “Just hold still for a sec, okay? Think you can manage that?”

“Yeah, no— _ow_ —take your time.” She poorly forced down a wince, but Catra noticed. She always noticed. Every slightly dimmed smile, every hurt look sent her way. Everytime Scorpia was late getting to bed or slower during sparring. God help her, she always noticed. Catra looked to the heavens; Who she’d pissed off in a past life to deserve this, she’d never know. 

“Ugggghhhhh. Ya know I had stuff to do today, right?” Catra didn’t bother hiding her annoyance.

“I know, I know, and jeez-louise am I sorry about all this, but hey! I promise to make it up to you later? How ‘bout I save you some of my food rations. You know it’s the grey kind tonight–Wait, watch the tai— _ow_.”

Catra dodged a reflexive tail-strike, the crate below her wobbling dangerously. She tightened the bandage with more force than was strictly necessary.

“ _Agk!”_

“Oh, _I’m_ _sorry_. Was that too rough?”

“A smidge.” Scorpia winced. 

“That’s what you get.” There was a growl in the back of her throat. But her chest felt tight, uncomfortable. Shaking her head, she said, “I can’t believe I had to set aside all my plans just to take care of you! You think you’d be more careful…” When Scorpia opened her mouth defensively, Catra glared and went on, “Shut up, alright? I know I volunteered... Don’t make it weird. Me and Hordak need you in top shape—erm—well, especially Hordak. S’not like I care or whatever. And the dumbasses in Medical couldn’t mend a broken nail, let alone this.” She knocked lightly on the cracked claw.

“Heh, yeah.” Scorpia said, scratching her head with the tip of her uninjured claw. “I mean, didja see what they did to Kyle last week? Positively atrocious.”

“See what I mean? They’re just so… incompotent down there. I mean, it’s funny now cause it’s Kyle and he’s hilarious, but we can’t have every Horde soldier running around like that— not very intimidating.” Catra cleared her throat. “Luckily for you, however, _I_ actually know what I’m doing.”

A small, private smile graced Scorpia’s mouth. “Ooh, buddy, you don’t gotta tell me twice! You’re so competent and badass and pretty–uh–That’s why you make such a great leader! You take care of us.”

Catra shrugged, looking askance. “I just keep you in line. I can’t take care of anyone.”

“Well that’s just not true, wildcat, but! I know you hate talking good about yourself, so I’ll drop it. And hey, at least I earned my yearly exoskeleton polishing early! Besides, now I know not to let Entrapta keep drinks around the lab. That’s something!” She cleared her throat, “But, seriously Catra, thank you for this. You’re a good frie—Commander.”

Catra’s tail went still. Her voice caught in her throat. She swallowed, harshly, then narrowed her eyes and said, “Were you about to say ‘friend?”

“Uh, Noooope? Not me. Never.” Scorpia wasn’t meeting her eyes. Her face was flushed. 

“You were, weren’t you?” Catra felt something uncomfortably close to panic clutch at her heart. When she blinked a flash of golden hair and bright blue eyes taunted her. She felt angry.

“Just the cracked claw talking, you don’t need to worry! I mean— you can worry if you want— I won’t judge you, but if you did, just sayin’, _tooootally_ cool. There is _no_ shame in people needing people, y’know? But, y’know, you do you–”

“–I _don’t_ need people. People are annoying. People slow you down. People drag you down into their little people problems and get you to trust them and then they _betray_ you. Only fools let their guard down like that and I’m not a fool, so I don’t. You could learn a thing or two.”

“Wildcat… ” Scorpia frowned, reaching up, but Catra reeled back, bristling all the while. 

“Don’t! I know that’s not how you work. You like people and people like you but I. I’m not. I don’t.. It’s better like this.” Catra rolled her shoulders back. She clenched her jaw and repeated, “It’s better like this.”

They were silent for a long time before Scorpia spoke up again. When she did, her voice was soft. “I understand that you’re a lone cat and I respect that about you.” Scorpia turned back around so she was facing away from her commander. “But y’know, just for the record…you don’t… you don’t have to be my friend for me to wanna be your friend.” 

Annoyingly, Catra was always reminded in times like these (of which there were too many) that Scorpia’s stubbornness wasn’t a random nuisance. She was perceptive. She was strong. Dependable completely in a way that was dangerous to be around. Catra didn’t ever wanna depend on anyone else ever again. The distance she tried to keep was good for her. Being around Scorpia made her feel lighter, but she wasn’t ready for that yet. 

She wouldn’t be ready for Scorpia for a long time. 

“...Yeah. Yeah, I know.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed this one! 
> 
> This is far from the last She-Ra fic we'll be posting so have fun with that! See you all in another week or so! 
> 
> HT's tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/humbletortoise  
> HT's twitter: https://twitter.com/Caskett_Madison
> 
> KK's tumblr: https://khadij-al-kubra.tumblr.com/


End file.
